Cotton-working machine



March 18, 1930. R. s. CURLEY Filed Nov. 10, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March18, 1930. R. s. CURLEY 1,751,133v

' COTTON WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1928 5 h e h t 2 Match 18, 1930.R, S, URLEY 135L133 COTTON WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1928 5Sheets-Sheet s TTORNE Y Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES .PATENT'OFFICE ROBERT S. CURLEY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO KITSONMACHINE SHOP, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTSCOTTON-WORKING MACHINE Application filed November 10, 1928. Serial No.318,436.

This invention 7 relates to machines for opening, picking or cleaningcotton and similar fibrous material herein included in the term cotton.Such machines, hereinafter referred to. as cotton. cleaning machines,in-

clude a beater and a grid against which the cotton is thrown by thebeater and through which a substantial partof the foreign materialassociated with the cotton is projected.

In a typical cotton cleaning machine these grids are of angular crosssection and they are usually supported at their opposite ends in cheekpieces carried by the frame of the machine. Usually, also, some means isassociated with the cheek piecesto permit the angular adjustment of thegrid bars and consequently to vary, asdesired,- the width of the spacesbetween adjacent bars. In some of these machines thebars are so longthat their central portions are easily bent, and permanent bending anddistortion of the bars is very likely to be produced by the bunching ofthe cotton at some point and the impact of the beater against it. Theproblem of sup- 2 porting the intermediate portions of the grid bars iscomplicatedby the fact that the presence of parts necessary to connectthese portions of the bars in any way with the machine frame is highlyobjectionable, and by the further fact that the bars usually aremountedfor angular adjustment, and any kind of a central support for bars somounted must in: clude some provision'for permitting this adjustment.

The present invention aims to devise a thoroughly practical solution forthis problem.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims. r V I i In the drawings,

' Figure lsian angular view. of a part of a cotton cleaningmachineincluding a central support for the grid bars constructed in accordancewith thisinvention;

Fig. ,2:is a sideelevation of the'c'entralsup port illustrated in Fig. 1showing the grid bars in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing the grid bars indifferent positions of ad ustment; I V 3 Fig. 4 is a plan view of thesupport shown in Fig. 2

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the support shown in Fig. 2;

Fig.6 is aside view illustrating the mechanism for supporting the endsof the grid bars; and i Fig. 7 is a, view partly in planandpartly insection showing the relationship .of the center support to the endsupports for the grid bars.

For purposes of illustration the invention is herein shown as applied toa cotton cleaning machine of a common commercial type. Referring toFigs. 1, 6 and 7 it will be observed that this machine includes a rotarybeater having arms, one of which is shown in Fig. 1-at2. These armsrevolve close-to a curved grid which comprises a series of parallel gridbars 3 of angular formin cross-see tion, these bars extendinghorizontally across the machine from one side thereof -to the other. Theopposite ends of the bars are supand thatv the so-called working edge ofeach '5 in which the ends of the bars are located, 7

bar is constantly held in the upper right-hand corner of its respectivesocket, asshown in this figure, and against theicapping strap.:6 of thebar. The thinner edges- ;of. .the bars vrest in notches 7 formed in anadjusting member or dog 8. which is held to the cheek piece by a bolt 9.It is'backed up by lugs 10 1() integral with the cheek piece and isprovided with a slot 12 to receive the bolt 9 so that it can have'aslidingadjustment of small swings the grid bars in unison about' theiramplitude. "Such an adjustment rocksfor V the width of the space betweenadjacent bars while maintaining the position of the working edges of thebars at a constant distance from the beater. By tightening the bolt 9the dog 8 may be locked in itsadjusted position where it clamps each ofthe grid bars against movement. I

Usually the bars of each grid are divided into sections, each sectioncontaining a given number, say six or eight bars, and two adjustingdogs, one at each end of the section, are provided for the bars of eachsection. This permits the adjustment of' the bars of one sectionindependently of those of another, which often is very desirable. Fig. 6shows the adjusting dog Sfor the upper section only of the bars of thegrid, but Fig. 1 shows the adjusting dog 13 for the next adjacentsection of bars. This supportin and adjusting means for the bars has notbeen provided by this'invention, but is here shownand. de-

scribed because of its bearing on the condif tions with which thepresent invention deals.

As above stated, it would be highly objectionable to use any kind of asupport for the central portions of thebars which would occupy anyconsiderable space outside the bars. At the same time some supportisextremely desirable when the bars are relatively long, say for example,thirty-six or forty inches, or v more. I have found that therequirements for an intermediate support can be satisfied by connectingthe central por-- tions of the bars rigidly together so that they willsupport each other. T

At the same time the bars will carry the supporting means. For thispurpose I have provided an intermediate or center support 15, Figs. l-to5, incluslve, which comprlses a curved bar having a series of apertures16 through which the grid bars 3 project. These 7 bodied in other. formswithout departing apertures are of such shape that they permit the freeangular adjustment of the bars and they are mounted in this support in.much the same manner that they are in the cheek pieces. That'is, theworking edge of each bar rests constantly in the upper right-hand cornerof its respective aperture 16, and it is held in this position by anadjusting member or dog similar to the adjusting dogs8 and 13. In theconstructi'on shown in Figs. '2 and 3 two'of these dogs 17 and 18 areprovided, each adapted to accommodate eight of the bars 3 and eachhaving notches to receive the thin edges of the bars. These dogs slideon lugs: 19 integral with the bar and they may be clamped in theiradjusted positions by tightening up the bolts 20 tively. r

In order. to prevent these parts from loadand 21, respecing up withlint, the bar 15 is provided with a web or flange 22 which liesimmediately in front of the grid bars and is of such climensions as toprotect the partsimmediately behind it. In other words, this part 22forms a guard to shield the adjusting dogs and adjacent parts from lintand other material thrown through the grid by the beater. It

will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 4 and r 5 that the guard ismade of greater width at that side of the bar 15 on whichtheadjusting fdogs are mounted. In adjusting the bars initially the bolts 20 and 21are loosenedand the bars are then adjusted; at the cheek piecesexactlyas they are whenthe machine is not provided with the center support.When this adjustment has been completed and the adjusting lother throughthe supporting bar 15 and the adjustable dogs. While the grid bars'them-.

selves form the sole support for the bar .15, nevertheless the shape ofthis bar issuch that it is very strong and rigid, and whenthe grid barsare connected to it in the manner just described the entire assemblyforms a very rigid structure and substantially eliminates any:

possibility of the individual grid bars being bent or deformed inthemanner abovedescribed. The fact that thegrid bars and supporting bar15 cooperate in this manner and the presence of obstructions in thespace outside the beater through which the dirt and. foreign materialsare discharged. If the adjustment of the grid bars is eliminated, the

construction of the center support can be corr'espondingly simplified.

be understood that the inventionmay be emfrom the spirit or scopethereof.

lVhile I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention it will 5 Having thus described my invention, what i I desireto claim as new is:

1. Ina cotton cleaning machine having a beater, a grid positionedcloselyadjacent to said beater and comprising a seriesof bars, means forsupporting the ends of said bars and addltlonal means for supportingsaid bars at points between their ends and con- 7 necting them rigidlytogether so that they. cooperate to supporteach other, said addi tionalmeans being supported solely by said.

bars.

2. In a cotton cleaning machine having a beater, a grid positionedclosely adjacent'toi said beater and comprising a series of bars, meansfor supporting the endsof said bars for angular adjustment, and additional'.

means for engaging'said bars between their ends and connecting themrigidly together whereby they cooperate to support each other,

said additional meansservingto support said bars in their variouspositions of angular adjustment but being itself supported solely bysaid bars. 7

3. In a cotton cleaning machine having a beater, a grid positionedclosely adjacent to said beater and comprising a series of bars, meansfor supporting the ends of said bars, and means supported independentlyof said end supporting means for engaging the intermediate portions ofsaid bars and connecting them rigidly together and thereby causing themto support each other.

4:. In a cotton cleaningmach'ine having a beater, a grid positionedclosely adjacent to said beater and comprising a series of bars, meansfor supporting the ends of said bars for angular adjustment, additionalmeans supported independently of said end supporting means for engagingsaid bars between their ends and supporting them, and adjustable meansfor engaging said bars and cooperating with said central supportingmeans to hold the bars in their adjusted positions.

5. In a cotton cleaning machine having a beater, a grid positionedclosely adjacent to said beater and comprising a series of parallel barsof angular cross section, means for supporting said bars at theiropposite ends, a supporting bar having apertures through which said gridbars extend and in which intermediate portions of the bars aresupported, said supporting bar being itself supported solely by saidparallel bars, an adjustable member slidably mounted on said supportingbar and having shoulders to engage said grid bars, and means forclamping said member in its adjusted position.

6 In a cotton cleaning machine having a beater, a grid positionedclosely adjacent to said beater and comprising a series of parallel barsof angular cross section, means for supporting said bars at theiropposite ends, a curved bar having apertures through which said gridbars extend and in which intermediate portions of the bars are supportedand having a web portion forming a guard lying in front of said gridbars and extending at right angles to them, said supporting bar beingitself supported solely by said parallel bars, a dog slidably mounted onsaid curved bar and cooperating with said grid bars to hold them invarious positions ofangular adjustment, and means for locking said dogto said curved bar.

ROBERT S. CURLEY.

